Summer Lessons

It's Never Too Late Or Too Early To Learn Swimming Skills.

One of the first things that Carol Marraffini did when she and her family moved to Coral Springs last summer was put her 3-year-old son, James, in swimming lessons.

"In Florida he needs to learn how to swim because everyone has a pool and there are canals," Marraffini said. "He needs to know how to save his life by getting to a wall if he falls in."

Lisa Hodapp, of Coral Springs, said that she wants her 31/2-year-old daughter to know how to swim for safety's sake. After two sessions, Hodapp thinks she's made some progress.

"Mainly she's learned to trust herself in the water and some basics," Hodapp said.

But Hodapp said that her daughter isn't swimming yet, and she wouldn't trust her to be able to save herself if she fell in the canal by her house. So today she starts her third session of lessons.

Not learning how to swim can lead to tragedy. In Florida, drowning is the leading cause of death for children 4 and younger. At least half of these cases involve swimming pools, according to the National Safety Council's Broward chapter.

Of the toddlers who drown, 70 percent were in the care of one or both parents at the time of the accident. Around 75 percent were missing from sight for five minutes or less, the council reported.

Statewide, there were 386 accidental drowning deaths in 1994. Of that number, 44 were in Broward County. The largest number of victims in Broward were children 4 and younger, with 10 deaths reported, according to the state Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services' Office of Vital Statistics.

But toddlers aren't the only ones at risk.

In Broward, HRS records show the second highest number of reported drowning deaths in 1994 were seven incidents for the age group of 75 to 84.

Safety experts say it's never too early - or too late - to learn water skills. Many local programs have classes for 6 months old through adult.

Coral Springs Aquatics Complex Director Mike McGoun said that the beginner's American Red Cross programs at his pool focus on survival techniques and safety.

"They don't only teach the kids how to swim, but how to assist someone else if they see someone in a drowning situation," McGoun said.

Parents researching swimming courses will find that a single session usually involves eight classes over a two-week period.

But don't be swayed into thinking this is all the child requires, said Karen Leonard, national director for SwimAmerica, a Fort Lauderdale-based learn-to-swim program with 500 class sites nationwide, including two in Davie.

"In our program, we recommend that the average 4-year-old needs at least 24 lessons to learn enough survival skills," she said. McGoun said that extremely young swimming students will never be able to do it all; the emotional and physical maturity of children determines how much they can accomplish in the classes.

"You need certain physical capabilities and strength to do certain strokes," McGoun said. "If parents want them to progress, they are going to have to accept that it is an ongoing process and enroll them in lessons year after year."

McGoun said that it is important for parents to accurately describe their childrens' skill level to instructors so the children get the most out of their swim classes.

"Putting them in a class that's too difficult adds a fear factor," McGoun said. "It's essential that we get them in the right class so they have a positive experience."